Lima Group agrees to push for ‘peaceful transition’ in Venezuela, ‘without use of force’

By Beatrice Paez Feb. 4, 2019

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that Venezuela, under the leadership of the country's self-declared interim president, would be joining the Lima Group as a 'full-fledged member.'

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured on Feb. 4, 2019, with her Peruvian counterpart, Néstor Popolizio, at the opening of the Lima Group meeting in Ottawa. The 14-nation bloc convened to discuss the situation in Venezuela. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada is “absolutely not considering a military intervention” to force the embattled Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, out of office, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters at the conclusion of a ministerial summit on Monday.

Gerald Butts has removed himself from the daily political grind of strategizing how to keep the Liberals in power. But observers say it's unlikely he will be consigned to watch the campaign unfold from the sidelines.

SNC-Lavalin risks a takeover if it's convicted. But aside from likely outrage in Quebec, Ottawa can find other builders for its infrastructure plans if the company is banned from bidding on federal contracts, experts say

The Quebec company had extensive access to government ministers and top staffers, and was the only organization registered to lobby for allowing deferred prosecution agreements for white collar crimes.